Roscosmos is holding a tender for completing the Arktika-M satellite network project, RIA Novosti reports. The maximum price of the contract, in accordance with the bid posted on the state procurement website, will be 4.966 billion rubles.

The project provides for the launch of the second Arktika-M spacecraft, full deployment of a surface complex to receive, process and distribute information, as well as trials of the network with two Arktika-M satellites.

The first Arktika satellite is scheduled to lift off before November 30, 2018. The launch of the second satellite will take place in 2019. Overall, work to complete the satellite network will last until November 30, 2020.

The contractor will be named on November 16.

The Arktika-M multirole hydrometeorological satellite network will monitor the atmosphere and the surface of the Earth in the Arctic region. Satellites will provide the Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring (Roshydromet) with weathercasting data and will also monitor Arctic climate change and emergencies, and will conduct environmental assessments.